Coyote
by squirrelygirl890
Summary: She's been living alone in the woods for three years; three years since the incident. Kaya's a mutant, but of what exactly, she's not sure. All she knows is that she has feral senses, and right now, she's picked up the scent of an intruder in her territory. When she goes to investigate, Kaya soon finds that she isn't the only feral mutant. (Wolverine!)
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone! This is my first fanfic short story & I am open to comments/ideas as to where to take this. I really enjoyed reading other people's works, and figured I'd try my hand at it.**

**_Italics mean thoughts or flashbacks, but to avoid confusion, flashbacks have been labeled as so._**

**Enjoy!**

I had been living in the woods for 3 years now. The snow was falling slowly in big, puffy flakes, but I knew it would be blizzarding soon. I could smell it on the wind coming off the mountains behind me. The wolf pack I had been following had closed up shop early after making one small kill and returned to their den before the weather hit. Unfortunately, there had been nothing left of their meal for me to scavenge. I squatted next to the bloody snow, heaving a sigh. It had been a doe. That much the carcass and scent told me, but the tracks it left told the real story. She had somehow injured her left hindquarter, making her an easy target for the pack.

My stomach gurgled, reminding me it had yet to be fed. Slowly, I stood from my crouch and started walking. Opening my senses a little more to the world around me, I tried to sift through all the scents to identify one as a meal. My released breaths were sent out in steaming clouds. Chuffing a bit, I finally got something. _What is that?_ I raised my nose higher to get a more direct flow of air and inhaled deeply. Something…something about the scent was different but familiar. _Tobacco…? And…and steak?_ My stomach growled again, protesting against the latter smell. 3 years in this forest meant 3 years of wild game, berries, and nuts, but who could ever forget the taste of lean, juicy steak? My mouth began to water. _Don't be stupid. Tobacco, remember? That means men, and men mean trouble._

Too many times had I been confused for an animal in these woods by hunters. And before the woods…I shuddered at the memory. _I still need to check it out. See if I should be keeping an eye out for any hunters._ Setting off at a brisk trot, I made my way through the trees, following the smell.

The snow was falling more heavily when I saw the cabin. It was in the middle of a clearing. _Funny, I don't remember this being here._ Of course, I had never smelled beef being cooked here either, and there had been no point coming this far down off the mountain before. I watched from the tree line. Smoke was rising from the chimney and a smaller cloud puffed up from a charcoal grill off to the side of the house. A gust of wind carried snowflakes into my face and a stronger scent of the searing meat. My guts were squirming around like a bunch of starving wolf pups. I'm a scavenger, and my stomach was telling me what it always told me about someone else's food: _Steal._

I hardly ever took more food than I needed and tried not to impose too much on the real hunters like the wolves and bears, taking some of their kills only after they had gorged themselves. I do this not just out of politeness, but out of survival. A wolf or bear with a full stomach is less likely to bother doing cardio by chasing off a humble scavenger. With people, it's a little different. I learned from past experience that it's better to take what they won't notice is gone. A can of beans here, and apple there…But this steak was calling to me, and no matter how hard I tried, my stomach convinced me that I could make off with an easy meal without being seen.

I did manage to make myself wait and watch. Just because I was going to do something careless didn't mean I was going to be careless doing it. A man came out smoking a cigar, checking on the meat. I crouched a little lower but I knew he wouldn't be able to see me; not in the fading light and all the snow. My dust colored deer pelt I wore as a coat also helped hide my form in the duskier shadows among the timber. _I need to make this quick if I want to get back to my den before the storm kicks in._

I watched as he flipped a couple of steaks and take a long pull on his cigar. _Well, that's where the tobacco smell's coming from._ Another gust of wind sent flurries swirling away and off into the clearing where they finally settled. The guy suddenly stiffened and turned to face the trees, his steak momentarily forgotten. If I didn't know better, I would have thought he was sniffing the air. I held very still, simply out of instinct, until a minute later he made a final pat of his spatula to a few slabs, then went back inside.

Cautiously, I made my way out from under the pines. Paused, then quickly sprinted to the edge of the cabin. There was enough pack snow around the building to hide most of my prints. I skirted along the outer wall, under a curtained window, and to the side with the grill. My mouth was really watering, and I reached out for the first steak I saw. The meat was searing hot and I just barely stifled my yelp of pain, sucking on my burned fingertips. I cursed myself for such stupidity and pulled out my hunting knife with my other hand. I again reached for the meat…and froze. In my quest for food, I had failed to notice the man come around from the back of the house, downwind from me, so I hadn't smelled his approach; and how he had managed to not make a sound baffled me. Now, cold, sharp metal was pressed against my neck.

"Well, well! Looks like I got me a coyote problem." The man's voice was gruff and low in my ear. He was short for most men, standing only several inches taller than myself. I swallowed, feeling the metal bob with the action.

"Look bub, I don't know what you think you're doin' out here in this weather wearin'…" he looked me up and down, "not enough for these temper'tures, but I don't appreciate it when people try ta take somethin' o' mine without askin' first."

I watched him from the corner of my eye, looking for any openings of escape. The wind ruffled his dark, raven hair, which curiously came into 2 points above his head, giving him the look of having ears. The sudden fall of a mound of snow from a branch momentarily distracted him, giving me the opportunity I needed to elbow him in the gut, causing him to relent his knife hold at my throat. At the same time, I leapt back while turning to face him, slashing my own knife across toward his abdomen.

"Ey!" he shouted and dodged the slice. He was fast, but not quite fast enough to completely evade the knife. It cut through his shirt and just nicked the flesh, drawing blood. I stood there a few paces away, watching him warily. He looked down at his bloodied hand as he pulled it away from the cut. I watched in fascinated horror as the red gash closed up and the skin went from an angry pink scar to smooth, tan skin. The slightly bloody slash in his shirt the only sign that I had actually cut him. Slowly, his blue eyes focused on me and he let out a deep, guttural growl that made my hair stand on end.

His whole posture changed from that of a man to something more similar to a wild animal. Sensing that he was more predator than anything else, I opted to do what all scavengers do when faced with a threat: I ran.

**Again, open to suggestions! Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again! Hope you enjoyed the last bit, because now things get really interesting! **_Italics mean thoughts or flashbacks, but to avoid confusion, flashbacks have been labeled as so. _**Also, so I don't get sued or something...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Wolverine, but my created character, Kaya, is completely mine. Marvel don't kill me. I love you. Anyways, on with the story!**

The cold air burned my throat and lungs as I went flying over the snow; my breath leaving a trail of steaming clouds. I could hear the man snarling from behind me, spurring me onward even faster. Reaching the tree line, I dodged and weaved expertly between the trunks, hoping to elude him. Pine needles and snow stung my face as I continued heading toward the base of the mountains, my brown hair whipping behind me. There was a half-frozen river that I was sure I could lose him at, and from there, I could make it back to my den before the storm. I turned sharply to the direction of the water and caught a glimpse of the man. He moved with all the grace, power, and speed of a timber wolf…and looked just as terrifying as one.

I reached the bank of the river panting, with the man following close behind. The weather was taking a plunge for the worse, making it difficult to see. _Where do I cross?!_ I couldn't find any of my landmarks to know where it was safe to traverse over the ice. I paused for only a split second, but that was just long enough for my pursuer to launch himself at me. I spun around in time to see him flying towards me with razor sharp claws extended. I closed my eyes and waited for the impact.

His body slammed into mine, throwing us backwards and out onto the ice. He must have been close to 300 pounds because it felt as though I had been hit by a truck. Searing pain slashed into the soft spots on both my shoulders and I cried out. I tried to move, to flee, but couldn't escape his claws. I opened my eyes to see his snarling face inches from mine, our steaming breaths lingering out into the cold. Now I saw that his claws pinning me to the ice weren't actually claws, but metal with 3 individual blades protruding between the knuckles on each hand. I didn't know how long they were, but their freezing touch seeped straight down through my shoulders and lay firmly plunged into the ice below. The pupils of his eyes were now highly focused pinpricks against their hazel background, his nostrils flaring with the scent of my fresh blood melting into the snow. Then, without warning, the ice below us cracked.

I saw his eyes regain their human aspect just as we fell through. His vicious canines disappearing under a mouth of shock as the sharp water consumed us. All I could see was darkness and bubbles. I felt the metal claws in my shoulders retract and the man's heavy weight disappeared, releasing me into the rushing current. The water was strong, swirling and twisting me into a confusing jumble until I didn't know if I was up or down. I broke the surface spluttering, only to get a mouthful of choking water and be sucked under again. I frantically fought against the invisible force, but my limbs were already going numb from the cold, my arms practically useless thanks to the throbbing pain the wounds inflicted. I scrabbled along the bottom, trying to right myself, but struck my head on a rock and felt the black of unconsciousness envelope me.

**I love reviews!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! Thanks for being awesome readers! As always, ****_italics mean thoughts or flashbacks, but to avoid confusion, flashbacks have been labeled as so. _****Also, so I don't get sued or something...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Wolverine, but my created character, Kaya, is completely mine. Marvel don't kill me. I love you. Anyways, on with the story!**

Slowly, painfully, I felt the darkness recede. The crackling of a fire could be heard and the musky odor of wood smoke lingered in the air. Blinking my eyes a few times, my vision cleared. I was lying in a bed with heavy quilt blankets draped over me. With practiced caution, I sat up, looking around the room. There was an old recliner, a small table, a couple of dressers, and a small stove with a sink next to it in the corner. I tried to push myself up off the bed, but gasped when pain shot through my shoulders. Looking down, I saw that the tops of both my arms and chest had been tightly bound in cloth. I gingerly touched the fabric, remembering the metal piercing through me. Taking a deep breath, I stood to my feet, careful not to use my arms. The blankets fell away revealing that I was in just my underwear, with the bandages covering my upper torso. I padded softly over to the recliner where my clothes lay in a semi-organized heap. They were still a little damp. After a little difficulty with my wounded shoulders, I was fully dressed and headed toward the door.

"Where d'ya think you're goin'?"

I spun around, bracing my back against the door. The dark haired man stood from his chair by the fire. None of my senses had picked up that there was another person in the room. Of course, I hadn't really been trying to detect if there had been or not. My hands searched for the door knob behind me as he began to walk toward me.

"What're you doin' out here this time 'o year, kid? It's dangerous."

My fingers closed around the circular brass. He continued to walk closer.

"Who are you?" He was standing before me. I gave the knob a hard twist and a yank. His palm slammed down on the door just a little above my head, shutting it with a bang.

"I swear to God kid, if you don't give me some answers, you're gonna be wishin' I let you drown in that river."

A low growl escaped my lips before I could stop it. Scavengers may run from a fight, but when cornered, we would defend ourselves.

I could tell from his slight shift in weight away from me that he understood the growl as a warning, but he didn't remove is arm. He cocked one eyebrow waiting for a reply, but I said nothing.

"You don't talk much, do you?"

I just glared up at him. He released a heavy sigh.

"Look…I don't know what you're doin' way out here, but I think we can both agree that you're in no shape to be out in this weather," he gestured toward my shoulders and then to the blizzard raging outside the window. I watched him closely, and his body language told me that, for the moment, he wasn't a threat. Slowly, I nodded in consent and released my grip from the door handle. His arm dropped from above me and he took a step back. The tension between us was still present, but had decreased considerably. He went back to his place by the fire and I moved toward the table, stiffly taking a seat in one of the wooden chairs. Poking at the fire, he asked,

"You got a name, kid?"

I looked down at the floor boards, silent. He watched me a while longer, then shrugging, returned to poking at the glowing embers. He grabbed a log from a pile next to him and with a "snikt,"out slid his claws to cleanly slice through the wood. After arranging the tinder on the flames he made for another grab at the wood pile.

"Kaya."

"What?" he asked, looking up with his claws still poised to cut through the log.

"That was my name," I said softly. The words felt strange coming out of my mouth. I hadn't spoken to anyone since the incident 3 years ago.

He peered up at me. Slowly, his arm lowered. Retracting his claws back into his fist.

"Logan," he replied. For several minutes we sat like that; not saying anything. Listening to the wood pop and the wind outside howl into the night. Smirking, Logan finally broke the silence.

"For a while, I thought you couldn't talk. Figured I'd hafta give you a name myself. Call you Coyote or somethin'." He snorted to himself.

A small smile tugged at my lips. _Kaya the Coyote…I like that._

**Alright! Finally had the name exchange! Coming up...I have an idea of what to do and have most of the next chapter written, but I'll need your help to know where to take this story (seeing as how I'm not sure where this is going myself!) _This is your chance to provide ideas or ask questions!_**** Thanks again for reading guys!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Alright readers! This next chapter is pretty long, so hope that makes you as happy as it did me when I finished it! ** **As always, ****_italics mean thoughts or flashbacks, but to avoid confusion, flashbacks have been labeled as so. _****Also, so I don't get sued or something...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Wolverine, but my created character, Kaya, is completely mine. Marvel don't kill me. I love you. Anyways, on with the story!**

I awoke the next morning to the smell of bacon frying. _This guy knows how to eat._ A pang of hunger went through me, reminding me of how I still hadn't eaten since before last night's events. A little while after we had shared names, I had started nodding off in my chair until Logan told me to take the bed and he'd sleep on the floor. There was still a mound of blankets where he had bedded down for the night. Minding my shoulders, I carefully got up and walked over to the table.

"Mornin," Logan said gruffly.

I just nodded in acknowledgment. Looking out the window, I saw that the storm had passed, giving way enough to let the sun shine through but not its warmth. I sat at the table and he set a plate of bacon and eggs in front of me.

"Sorry it's not steak, but something came up last night," he snickered.

I stared at the food in front of me, not touching it despite the complaints of my stomach.

"What's wrong, kid?" Logan asked, taking a seat opposite from me. "Don't tell me you don't like bacon and eggs," he said after taking a bite of his own breakfast. I looked up at him.

"Why did you save me?"

"Whaddya mean?" he asked around a mouthful of food.

"You had every right to let me drown…Why didn't you?"

He shifted in his seat uncomfortably.

"It wasn't up to me to decide."

"I don't understand."

"It's…hard to explain," he sighed.

"No it's not. I tried to steal **your** kill…"

"Kid…"

"I threatened and wounded **you **on **your** territory…"

"Stop," he warned.

"You had me pinned, Logan. You could have let me drown. How is that not up to you?"

"BECAUSE IT WASN'T ME!" he shouted, knocking over his chair as he stood. I flinched and shrank away from him. His fists clenched and unclenched at his sides, his claws just barely breaking through the skin. His eyes flickered dark and his posture changed, but only for a moment. That's when I realized.

"You're split. One part man, the other part more…more animalistic. Like me, but worse. And that was him, wasn't it?"

Logan just turned his head away. _It makes sense now. That's how he smelled me in the clearing. How he was able to sneak up on me_

"Who…What is he?" I asked leaning in over the table to hear.

He seemed to be reliving something from his past; his face trying to hide all the pain and sadness of the world. Finally, he answered.

"Wolverine."

My eyes widened. I'd run into the animal counterpart only once out of the many years I had lived in these isolated mountains. They were vicious at best and downright deadly at worst. I had a couple of scars from just that one chance meeting. _And now you have a set of 6 more from this one._

"Why didn't he kill me?" I asked, barely audible.

Logan sighed heavily and rubbing the back of his neck, replied,

"Honestly, kid…I'm not even sure he knows. It was…just a feelin'. A sense or instinct. Somethin' about you…"

_Yeah. Something about me. _I looked down at my eggs; my appetite gone. _Why am I still here? I should have left last night. Stolen away in the swirling darkness. I've suffered worse wounds and lived._ I stood to leave, stirring Logan from his thoughts.

"Where're you goin' kid?" He didn't move from where he had knocked over his chair, but his eyes followed me. I continued toward the door, grabbing my coat. The room suddenly felt too small and stuffy, trapping me. I could see the walls closing in before my eyes as I blindly stumbled toward the door.

"Kid?" Logan asked, concern tainting his voice, but I couldn't hear him over the cries of terror in my ears and the ring of a memory I had tried to suppress for ages.

_ "You're sure you grabbed the right one?"_

_ "Yes. DNA shows a positive match. She's his."_

_ "Good. Keep her under surveillance until I return."_

_ "Yes, sir."_

_The man holding me opened up a cell door and shoved me roughly inside. My legs gave out and I fell to the floor in a heap. Struggling to climb my way up to the small rectangular hole in the door I cried,_

_ "Someone! Please! Help me! I don't belong here! I didn't do anything!"_

_I continued my pleas until my voice gave out. No one ever came. _

[change in flashback]

_I was strapped to a metal operating table. There was a drip IV injected into the crook of my arm. It must have had a sedative in it because I couldn't move my limbs very well and my mind felt foggy, but I could still understand what my captors were saying._

_ "This has been a complete waste of time and resources! Her blood tests prove that she's Weapon X's offspring, but her gene lacks his healing mutation! She is of no use to me!"_

_ "Sir, if I may…her gene might not show prominent features of his X gene, but it does present the capability to mutate into the results you desire. Because she is so young, her mutation has not fully established itself."_

_ "Get to the point, Stryker."_

_ "If we allow the subject to reach maturity, she may develop the healing factor over time."_

_ "Fine. But if she doesn't show signs of Weapon X's mutation by the time she's 18, then I'll have my men dispose of her…and this program."_

_ "But sir!"_

_ "You've failed me too many times for me to allow another mistake on your part, Stryker. Get me results, or get out."_

_ "Yes, sir."_

[change in flashback]

_I was running for my life down twisting and turning metal corridors, but I knew exactly where I was going. Years of being held captive as a test subject in this facility had given me plenty of time to plot an escape. It wasn't easy, but I knew that if these people got what they wanted from me, then my chance of escaping dropped next to none, and if they didn't get what they wanted from me, then I had no chance. Even though I wasn't 18 yet, something had made them decided that I was of no further use, and I wasn't about to stick around to find out what it was. _

_I skidded around a corner in my bare feet and ran smack into a guard._

_ "I've got her! She's on level…"_

_I cut him off from revealing more over his comm link by leaping upon his chest, tackling him to the floor. His head hit the concrete with a dull "thunk" and he was out cold. I got up and resumed my mad dash to the exit. _

_I was nearing the entrance when I slowed to a halt. I stood and listened, hearing the sound of half a dozen footfalls further down the hall. Cursing under my breath I quickly disappeared down yet another hall. I frantically searched for any other routes back to where I wanted to go, but unlike the other passageways, this one did not branch off or have any doors for that matter…all except for one._

_Upon my approach, it whooshed softly open on automated hinges, revealing a dark chamber with cords and instrument panels everywhere. I recoiled as a strong chemical sent invaded my nose, wreaking havoc on my sensitive sense of smell. Cautiously, I made my way into the gloom, eyeing the technical equipment around me. I came up short with a gasp. Floating before me was a man in a tank full of a neon blue liquid. There were tubes and wires hooked up to him at regular intervals, feeding information into the whirring machines around me; a feeling of pity for the poor soul encased behind the glass welled up inside me. Taking care not to trip over the many cords surrounding the tank, I made my way over to a large panel attached to its side. Hitting what I assumed was the release lever, I pulled out the wires attached to the panel to prevent the action from being undone. I watched the heart monitor go from lethargic blips to a slow and steady rythm. Then, with a silent wish of luck for the man, I retreated through a door on the other side of the room. _

_I was running again, trying to make my way back to the exit. Alarms were blaring and I had to continually duck behind corners to avoid being seen by the multitudes of scientists and guardsmen that were running about. Whatever got them stirred up was making my escape both easier and more difficult at the same time. I was no longer the greatest concern, but there was more activity to try and get around. Finally, I reached my destination: the final corridor that lead to the outside world. Suddenly, a series of rumbles caused the whole facility to vibrate, shaking loose dirt and cables and causing the piping overhead to rattle and clang. Pouring on more speed, I sprinted for the iron clad door. Another shockwave caused a large metal pipe to fall crashing into the door, busting it open. Straining my muscles to their limit, I burst through the opening and into the moonlight beyond just as a huge explosion rocked the ground and blew me off my feet. I was thrown to the snow covered ground and blacked out._

**Wow! That was a really long series of flashbacks. My character should have her head checked out. And I know...all the snow and blacking out...again, but it'll make sense in the next chapter! You'll all be like "Oh. I see what you did there." Lol. Actually, I have no idea what you guys'll be like, which is why...**

**Reviews are my friends! **

**And as always, I'm open to ideas, criticisms, suggestions, etc. :) Thanks for being awesome readers, guys!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys! Sorry it took a few days longer than normal to post the new chapter, but life got in the way. Blarg. Also, I'm afraid that life's going to get in the way again this week (hopefully just until the weekend) with all the college and science and learning. Yeah! Sorry. As always, ****_italics mean thoughts or flashbacks, but to avoid confusion, flashbacks have been labeled as so. _****Also, so I don't get sued or something...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Wolverine, but my created character, Kaya, is completely mine. Marvel don't kill me. I love you. Anyways, on with the story!**

My face was cold and wet. I was lying face down in the snow, the wind knocked out of me.

"Kaya! Kaya, are you alright?"

I groaned. Logan was resting on top of me in such a way that I couldn't get up: my arms pinned to my back by his large hands.

"I'm sorry, kid, but you took off like a jackrabbit tryin' ta escape a forest fire! I couldn't just letcha go runnin' around out here."

I squirmed under his weight which, surprisingly, wasn't crushing me. I looked back at him to see he was carefully distributing its majority on his knees, rather than on me. He stood up, dusting the powder off and offering me a hand. I ignored it and got to my feet.

"Let's get you back inside before you freeze ta death." As we trudged back to the cabin, he picked up my deerskin jacket from where I had dropped it and tried to drape it over my shoulders. Snarling, I whipped around and snatched it from his grasp.

"Don't touch me!"

"What the hell's a' matter with you?" he yelled. "First you get all talkative this mornin'. Then you have an' episode, an' then you snap at me like some wounded…oh."

I hunched my shoulders under my coat.

"I'm sorry Kaya. I didn't mean ta hurt you, I swear. I may be the best there is at what I do, but that doesn't really include bein' gentle."

"It's not the shoulders, Logan. I…" _I don't know what made me do that. I couldn't control myself._

"Look. I know what flashbacks are, an' you just had a bad one. I just want you ta' know that I know what it's like."

"You don't know anything about what it's like to be me," I muttered, turning my face away. Logan gently grasped me by the shoulders, careful of my wounds, and turned me back to face him.

"Yes, I do. Every night I have nightmares…images…scenes from a life I can't remember. Things that were done to me you can't even imagine."

That made me go silent. We stood there awkwardly in the snow for a minute.

"I'm sorry."

"Ah, don't be. Now let's get you back inside before your stomach starts sounding too much like me." Realizing that my stomach was indeed growling, I allowed Logan to lead me back to the cabin.

Once inside, he sat me down by the fire and handed me my now lukewarm bacon and eggs. The fork felt strange in my hand, not having wielded one since my kidnapping. I struggled with it for a while until, with an exasperated sigh, set it off to the side and began using my fingers. Logan chuckled deep in his throat after witnessing my surrender to the silverware. Frustrated, I asked

"And just what is so funny?"

He chuckled some more and then replied,

"Oh, nothing…just the fact that I was in your shoes a couple of years ago."

"So you don't remember anything about your life?" I asked, licking bacon grease from my fingers.

"Kid, the first thing I can remember about my life is escaping from some freak experiment these damn scientists were doin' ta me." _What?!_

"What'd you just say?" I asked, all of my attention suddenly focused on him.

"Apparently, some people thought I'd make a good lab rat for somethin' an' stuck me in a big tank o' water like some messed up goldfish. It's how I came by these," his fist came up and out "snakt" his claws.

Looking closer at the man standing before me, I realized with a jolt that the man I had released those years back was now standing before me. My eyes nearly popped out of my head. Sensing something was up, Logan slid his claws back into his hand.

"That's….how's that even possible?" I asked, my mind still reeling with this sudden revelation.

"Care to share?" he asked, arching an eyebrow at me.

Wanting to be absolutely sure I asked,

"When did you escape?"

"Bout three years ago, why?"

"Did you come out in the wilds? Next to a lake?"

"Yeah, but how did you…? What's goin' on here, kid? Do you know somethin' about those guys?" Logan got to his feet, his face suddenly growing dark. "Don't tell me you were assimilated with those bastards."

"NO! No! I wasn't working with them if that's what you're asking!" I frantically assured him, not wanting to have another encounter with an angered Wolverine.

"Spill!" he growled

"Alright! Look, those guys, whoever they were, kidnapped me. I was held in their facility for six years…six years of my life ripped away from me! They wanted me for a mutation I held in my genes, but I didn't have it. That's why they held me for so long; to see if I 'grew into it,'" my voice full of disgust. "Then, one day, I catch wind that I'm no longer necessary…that they don't need the offspring of the original when they actually have the original. That's when I decided to make a break for it. As I was escaping, I stumbled across a lab with a tank full of liquid chemicals. There was a man floating inside. Get it now?"

Logan's face had gone pale after the last bit.

"That was you? You were the one who sabotaged the controls?"

"Yes."

Logan heavily took a seat, making the chair creak and strain under his weight until I thought it might break. After a long moment of silence, he responded.

"Nine years old. So young…"

"How'd you know I'm eighteen?"

Logan looked up from staring at his hands and gave a sad smile.

"Mostly this," he said, tapping his nose, reminding me of his enhanced senses. "And a guess. So, how'd you get out?"

"I watched for a pattern in my guards' shifts and mapped out the route I was going to take in my head before hand."

"As a fifteen year-old with no training or even education since you were nine?"

"Yes."

He stared at me incredulously.

"What about when you ran into trouble?"

I looked at him sheepishly.

"I did my best to avoid everyone. I did have to knock out a guard or two though."

"And how'd you manage that?"

_He's quizzing me; sizing me up. He wants to know what my experience, if any, with fighting is._

"I tackled him to the ground and he got knocked unconscious." Logan didn't look impressed.

"Well, we're just goin' ta' hafta fix that now, aren't we?"

"How?"

"Oh you'll see," he replied with a wolfish grin. _I'm not sure I like where this is going…_

**I don't know about you, but I like where this is going. And...type all the dialogue! Yes, this chapter was a bit dense with conversation, but it was all very important! And now you all get to look forward to how training with Logan goes! You can expect things to get a little hairy. :P Speaking of hairy, my background/plot for this story needs a good shaving, and you know what that means?**

**REVIEWS! Yes, I know...I'm obsessed, but hey! I love hearing from you guys and would be ecstatic to hear your thoughts, concerns, questions and suggestions! (That rhymed!) Thanks for being the best readers!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys! I'm back after a very busy week of school to give to give you this next chapter! Yay! **

***SOMETHING NEW: A reviewer had an excellent question of whether or not Kaya was going to be introduced to the X-Men or not. Since I couldn't make up my mind, I decided to make a poll for you guys to vote on it. I'll probably be closing it after the next chapter or two since it'll be vital in where I take the plot, so go crazy!***

**As always, ****_italics mean thoughts or flashbacks, but to avoid confusion, flashbacks have been labeled as so. _****Also, so I don't get sued or something...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Wolverine, but my created character, Kaya, is completely mine. Marvel don't kill me. I love you. Anyways, on with the story!**

"Alright. Let's see what you can do." Logan took a casual guard stance and waited for me to do likewise. After waiting for the day to warm up a bit, we had once again ventured outside the cabin into the brightly lit, winter afternoon. Imitating Logan's posture, I awkwardly stood there waiting. "Well?" he asked.

"Well what?"

He rolled his eyes at me.

"Come on. Attack me!"

I hesitated, not wanting to hurt him, but more importantly, not wanting to provoke the Wolverine into emerging once again. Logan released an impatient growl, jerking me into action. I stepped forward to swing a fist at him. Faster than I could even react, Logan grabbed my passing wrist and used it to flip me over onto my back and into the snow. He stood above me, looking down and shaking his head.

"Well that just won't do," he stated simply. He thrust out his hand to help me up. Embarrassed, I dusted myself off and mumbled something about not being ready. He just chuckled, and replied with an "uh huh." For some reason it just rubbed my fur the wrong way. _If I even had fur._

"Again," he commanded. Once again, I resumed the stance I had previously taken only to have Logan come over and adjust my positioning. "Not like that. Your feet need to be balanced. Yes, like that. And your hands need to be higher. Here. Keep your fists in guard. Protect your face." He stepped back and nodded in satisfaction. "Okay. Now go."

I swung again, but missed as Logan sidestepped out of the way. Off-balance, I fell forward, tumbling into the woodpile next to the house with an audible "oof!"

"It's worse than I thought," Logan said, the snow crunching under him as he turned away from me. A spark of anger shot through me and I felt a low growl rumble through my chest. _Who does this guy think he is, turning his back on me; trying to teach me how to fight? I've dealt with bears, challenged wolves, even chased off mountain lions! I can fend for myself just fine!_ I got to my feet and rammed him from behind. My body throbbed with the impact, but he didn't budge. I stepped back, shaking out my now dead arm trying expel some of the pain I felt and bring life back into the nerves. Hitting him was like I had run into a tree or boulder. The shoulder I had used was shrieking through my bandages, but I gritted my teeth and ignored it. Logan eyed me, but didn't react. I felt another spike of anger surge through me, but more powerful this time. Sensing my hostility, Logan prepared for another attempted assault, but this time I was going to make him hurt. This time I knew where to hit him. Running towards him, I allowed my legs to tuck underneath me into a baseball slide till I was half way under him. Then, quick as a snake, I stomped upward with my right foot.

It wasn't until I saw his eyes widen that I realized what I was about to do. Straining with effort, I just barely managed to stop my heel before it could make painful contact with his groin. He had raised himself up onto his toes in an attempt to escape the pressure I exerted from underneath and his claws popped out. _Oh no. _Logan's whole body had stiffened and I could see him struggling to keep control of his more animalistic side. His eyes flickered in and out of focus and the muscles in his arms twitched. I froze, not daring to move less I break his concentration. It seemed to take forever, but eventually, his muscles relaxed and his eyes came back into focus, his claws retracting back into his arms. I allowed myself to start breathing again. _That was my fault. I triggered that reaction. I need to be more careful with my rage. I do dangerous things when I'm angry. Guess we might have something in common after all._ After getting over my initial shock, I lowered my foot and smirked up at him.

"You're right. It **is** worse than you thought…cause I play dirty." He blinked at me and then grinned.

"Well that's more like it!"

We continued to spar the rest of the afternoon, majority of the time with me losing, but I did learn some valuable techniques. Finally, the sun began to touch the arrowed tips of the surrounding mountains, casting long shadows amidst the trees and plunging the valley into an array of deep purples and delicate pinks. I paused, gazing out at the tallest peak as the sun splashed its last rays upon its snowy canvas. Closing my eyes, I allowed the wind to brush over me, biting at my exposed flesh and chilling me to my core. I felt alive.

"Beautiful, ain't it?" I glanced back at Logan, nodding. We stood there in silence among the shadows, watching, listening, to the forest around us until the stars began to wink their existence in the sky. For the first time in a long time, I realized that I wasn't alone.

**Man! I loved writing that last part! Sorry it's a little short, but it was such a good stopping place and I still have so much to do! :(** **Again, I'll be trying to post the next chapter next weekend, so stay tuned!**

**Don't forget to vote and leave a review! Thanks guys!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys! I know I'm a couple of days late, but I had an English term paper to complete. You know...have to set them priorities...I really wanted to write this next chapter, but I just couldn't. But now I did! :D YAY! **

***REMINDER: There is a poll waiting for your votes on whether or not Kaya should meet the X-Men. As of right now, only one person has voted, so I'll have to revert to default if no one else votes. (The poll is available as a link on the top of my profile page.)***

**As always, ****_italics mean thoughts or flashbacks, but to avoid confusion, flashbacks have been labeled as so. _****Also, so I don't get sued or something...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Wolverine, but my created character, Kaya, is completely mine. Marvel don't kill me. I love you. Anyways, on with the story!**

"Ow!" I yelped, flinching as Logan peeled the last of the bandages from my shoulders. "Watch where you put your fingers," I growled.

"Well if you'd stop fidgeting…"

I let out a huff and resigned myself to sit still while Logan examined my wounds. My shirt was carefully pulled over my head and wrapped around my arms, covering the front half of my chest, but exposing my back and upper shoulders to Logan. I could smell the old blood on the bandages along with some that was more fresh.

"How bad is it?" I asked, trying to twist around to see.

"Stop," he warned, placing his hands on me to prevent me from turning around further. "It's not bad, but it's not good either."

"Just give it to me straight," I said, gritting my teeth against the sting as Logan began to dab around the punctures.

"Well, it's not infected and, lucky for you, I…he, the Wolverine…whatever, went straight through the gap between your clavicle and shoulder blade on both arms, missing all the vital stuff. You're still bleedin' though. Not a lot, but enough to make me a little nervous. We probably shouldn't have done that training stuff today." He paused for a moment and then asked, "Don't you have a healin' factor or somethin'? Bein' a feral an all?"

"No. Should I?"

"I dunno. I've only met one other feral…at least that I can remember, and he **definitely** has one." I smirked as I heard Logan mutter some rather creative profanity under his breath about someone named Sabretooth. Then, "I wonder if that's why they kept you at their lab for so long…"

"What? To see if I had a healing factor?"

"Yeah."

"I guess that makes sense. It would explain why every month or so they would apparently cut me up for no reason except to 'take blood.' What a bunch of crap." I shuddered as the white sterile lab flashed before my eyes.

"Alright, I'm gonna put some alcohol on these claw marks to keep any possible left-over bacteria and stuff from getting' into your system. Want to keep these as clean as possible since they go all the way through. It's gonna hurt."

"You didn't do this earlier?" I asked, a bit shocked.

"I did. You were still out."

"Wish I still was," I grumbled.

I prepared myself, and then, with a stiff nod, gave Logan the go-ahead. The moment he poured, pain – endless, mind-numbing pain – ripped open my shoulders. I cried out, gripping the fabric of my shirt, as my vision flashed with red and yellow as I practically heard the skin sizzle from the liquor. I felt a powerful force from deep within my being trying to emerge, to sink its teeth and claws into me, to take control. Just as quickly though, it passed, and I found myself breathing heavily and feeling utterly drained. Logan looked at me with his head cocked to one side.

"You ok? For a second there you smelled…different. Like your scent changed."

Nodding, I managed to reply with a "fine" between gasps for air as the burning sensation began to slowly ebb away. _No. No I am not fine._ Whatever had come over me was still there. I could feel it lurking in the recesses of my mind.

Logan gently dried my shoulders with a soft towel and then tightly re-wrapped them with fresh bandaging, going over and around my upper torso like before. I winced when he tied it off. I pulled my shirt back on.

"Thank you Logan."

"For what? All I did was redress the injury I gave you."

"That wasn't entirely your fault," I replied, taking a seat on the bed and leaning back against the wall, closing my eyes. "And yes, thank you for that, but also thank you for…I don't know…saving me. Not just from the stream. I've been alone for too long. A few more years out here and I probably would've forgotten how to be human." I opened an eye to look at him. He looked sad. "What is it?"

"I just can't help but wonder…why take a child whose mutation had barely emerged? I can understand their interest in me, but why you? What did they want? What horrors did they do to you?"

I remained silent, thinking about how to answer.

"I don't know why they kidnapped me so young, but they said I was a precursor to the official Weapon X program, whatever that means. Apparently Weapon X is a guy they had their sights on but was either too dangerous or slippery for them to get their hands on, so they settled for the next best thing: his kid." Logan looked at me incredulously. "Yeah, that's right, I'm his kid, whoever he is."

"You never knew him?"

"No. All my mom ever told me about him was that he would go where he wanted to go and that no force in the world could stop him; that the only time he didn't go where he wanted to was when he left us. She wouldn't tell me why…I don't think even she knew."

"So you were raised by your mom."

"My mom and stepdad."

"Why didn't you try to go back to them after you escaped?" I looked up at him, meeting his eyes.

"They're dead."

"Oh." Logan looked down at the floor. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah, well, my step dad died from cancer when I was five. My mom though…she was a mutant. She could shape-shift. Nothing too special, just a few animals. She used to literally give me horseback rides." I smiled at the memory. "Anyways, one day these guys in suits come to our door. Next thing I know my mom's arguing with them and then she's trying to protect me from them. People already hate us for being mutants, so I guess they didn't have a problem with shooting her."

I scrubbed at some tears that were threatening to spill over. _I will not cry, not in front of Logan. You've been through this…she's gone and there's nothing that can change it. Get over it._ Steeling my nerves, I pushed on, not realizing how much I had wanted, needed to get this out.

"I remember watching my house disappear from a car's rearview window. I remember the concrete cell I practically grew up in and the food, or lack there-of depending on what was scheduled. I remember the horrible tests and experiments, all the machinery I had been hooked up to. I remember the needles. Every. Single. One. At first, I never knew when they were going to move me from my cell to the lab for experimentation. It all seemed random and I was too young and scared to even bother trying to figure it out. I was put through grueling physical exercises, often times till I would black out. Afterwards, my throat would be raw from all the breathing where sometimes I was given water, and other times I was forced to go without to the point of suffering severe dehydration. Only then would they nurse me back to health. I suffered burns, cuts, bruises, broken bones, you name it. The only thing they didn't do was kill me. Oh no. They were much too careful for that. After every injury, they allowed me time to heal, even if it took a while. Every test was carefully planned, scheduled and conducted under watchful eyes and then terminated before I was allowed to die. There was a point where I wished I would die. For a time, all I felt was fear, but as the days passed, I got over that and then all I felt was the pain. Eventually, even that dulled, until all I knew was anger. It was the anger that drove me to plan my escape. My successful one at least. And now, here I am," I stated scornfully, spreading my arms to either side, "stuck in the middle of the woods with no home, no family, and a man who could turn into a vicious animal and gut me at any time!"

I hadn't realized it, but I had started crying somewhere in the middle of my rant, and now that I was done, I couldn't stop them from falling. My whole body trembled and my vision grew blurry. Despite my best efforts to not show weakness in front of Logan, I was reduced to a whimpering and sniveling mess.

Logan got up from his chair and sat down next to me on the bed. Reaching out an arm, he drew me in close to his chest. At first I was tense and hesitant, but then no longer cared who/what he was and relented to his embrace, burrowing my face into his shirt. He murmured softly to me, reassuring me, all the while gently stroking my hair. I honestly don't know how long we sat there, but it was long enough for my sobs to subside and give way to sporadic hiccups. I didn't want to leave his grip. It felt strong and warm and safe. He smelled of wood smoke and pine sap. When I did finally pull away, I noticed his shirt was wet but he had a smile on his face.

"Hey, kit. Feel better?" I smiled at the nickname, wiping my nose on my sleeve and nodded. He brushed a strand of hair back from my face and gave my knee a squeeze. Getting up, he walked over to the sink and poured me a glass of water. "For the hiccups," he said, handing it to me. I gratefully drank it and then snuggled up under the covers of the bed, exhausted, listening to the crackle of the fire and Logan's steady breathing.

**Aww! The father-daughter relationship! I loved this scene! Sorry to those of you who hate sappy stuff, but I had to get this out of my system. And don't worry! Action looms tantilizingly close, just around the corner, lurking in the shadows! Along with some revealtions...And M.E.E Guest...please, please, please make an account on ! I can't answer any of your questions because you are a guest reviewer, so I can't reply to your reviews! AND I REALLY WANT TO!**

**The same goes for everyone. Leave a review cause I love hearing from you! (Wow. Rhymed again.) And I'm really sorry if I don't post this next week because finals are literally upon me! AHHH! Thanks for still reading guys!**


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